All the above Images are taken from Youtube.  This posting is dedicated to all those who question authority and have the confidence to make today's vision tomorrow's reality.  Rage On!  Men on the mountain image source is Source: http://www.efanet.org/about/index.html.

This posting was inspired by a recent interview with Bill Gates where he was questioned about his life, his company, and his recent altruistic efforts in the areas of education and health. After watching this interview I was curious as to what sorts of comments were being made by the general public. So I chose to surf the Internet a bit. While I did not find any particular comments on tis particular interview I did stumble upon many comments made in terms of his overall efforts. There were some that were well thought out and informative. What disturbed me was the proliferation of mere opinion lacking any sign of objective critical analysis. It provided me with cause to ponder the ways in which Gates has recreated himself. This lead me to review Robert Greene's 48 Laws of Power.

In his book he talks about the power in recreating yourself. The text follows:

“Do not accept the roles that society foists on you. Re-create yourself by forging a new identity, one that commands attention and never bores the audience. Be the master of your own image rather than letting others define it for you. Incorporate dramatic devices into your public gestures and actions power will be enhanced and your character will seem larger than life.” (Quoted from Robert Greene's 48 Laws of Power, page 191)

What strikes me about his altruistic effort is the level of negative press he receives . Often his quotes are taken out of context by the public. Often they are mere 'opinion' rather than 'facts.' In point of fact this is the price of leadership. This is the priced society pays for the rapid development of a more or less democratized Internet culture: a wealth of disinformation delivered to a large portion of the audience who fails to examine words without benefit of critical and objective analysis. So the question I raise is in regards to Gates' recreation of himself from successful entrepreneur to philanthropist.

What makes Gates a leader is his ability to rise above Internet chatter. Bill has earned his success and financial situation. And the ways in which he chooses to make a contribution are his business. Was it greed that got Gates to where he is? Or perhaps is it his business savvy and vision instead? In fact, is Gates motivated at all by the need to recreate himself with the regard to the public eye? Certainly his motivations cannot be discovered in the acquisition or material wealth. He has his in abundance. What his motivations are is not for me to judge. To do so would be falling into an all too chronic and disturbing trend of spewing 'opinions' via this marvelous and dangerous tool called the Internet.

This is the particular gift of the leader: to look beyond the opinion and focus on his or her actions. And this is how I define success. As I ponder Gates' situation I ask myself significant questions regarding my own ambitions. Do I want wealth? Of course I do. Do I want to spend my life allowing my wealth define who I am? No. Am I greedy? I don't know he answer to that yet since I do not know nor will ever know an exact definition of the word itself. So as I recreate myself I must wonder just how important public perception of this recreation is relevant to me. Since I am in a position where I must first acquire power and wealth Greene's 25^th law has a great deal of good advice for me in this regard. Looking to the realization of these goals I then ask myself just how important public opinion is to me in regard to personal and professional satisfaction.

I recall the life and times of John Lennon. After the breakup of the Beatles John put much effort into recreating himself. He publicly displayed his personal and professional life by redefining his creative, spiritual, and political life.

Much of his mainstream audience did not take to this recreation. But the bottom line is John was in a position of power and wealth that allowed him this luxury. Certainly he was not operating under the constraints created the desire and realization of a comfortable lifestyle. He had already done that. However, in his early career and under the guidance of a wise manager, this attention to recreation was an absolute necessity. The Beatles were transformed from an average club band into a social phenomena but not without cost. By example, this band was coached to avoid political statements regarding the Vietnam War. The Beatles were carefully branded as the nice boys with odd hairstyle who mom and dad would want as a son-in-law. It worked.

Ultimately this rather cynical and manipulative tactic worked so well that John was able to recreate himself with a minimum of regard to public perception. I see the same sort of scenario in the Gates phenomena. I suppose the key to all this is realizing the balance and compromise guided by situation. I also ponder whether the means justifies the ends. I can already imagine that some reading this will consider this paragraph a naive and philosophically remote perspective better left to classroom theory. I would argue that there is an element of the philosophical in the the practical. I would also argue that the understanding of this is essential to the acquisition of power and wealth. By extension this base power and wealth leads to the potential philanthropy. And this desire leads to the inevitable to compulsive misguided 'opinions' by the herd. It is inevitable. What defines the truly successful leader is this understanding and about:homeacceptance of this dynamic. What defines the leader is the willingness to rise above 'opinion' in such a way that it does not impact their personal and professional satisfaction or work to the detriment of those dependent on him. Gates states his concern for his responsibilities in his most recent interviews. To be a leader means to constantly recreate and accept the consequences o that recreation.

I have not realized the power and wealth of this man. People who attain these attributes are few and far between. I can, however, take away the lessons learned by observing the histrionics and applying them to my personal and professional goals and visions.

What I do know is that allowing outside opinions control my personal and professional vision is a road to ruin. What I know is that how I choose to use my wealth is my business. What I understand is that the Wall Street mentality of bottom line profit works only to degrees. I understand that leaders do not decide, they choose.

In this regard I have created a companion blog site that features information in the form of videos about related leadership qualities. The blog features inspirational and practical information. It can be used as a motivational tool in troubled times. And trust me, there will be troubled times for anyone wanting to live an extraordinary life. It can provide value by way of creating new possibilities for wavering projects. And it will entertain the more thoughtful reader/viewer inundated with bland and predictable chatter. Here is the site: http://billsvideoandaudios.blogspot.com/

So, recreate yourself and enjoy the ride. Always look inside yourself and ask the most important question: Am I satisfied with my choice and does it make a difference?